This may seem odd, but I grew up watching pro wrestling and still watch it from time to time. What amazes me is how many claim to be the best:

CM Punk claims to be the “Best in the world!”

Chris Jericho says he is “The best in the world at what I do!”

Bret “The Hitman” Heart’s mantra is “The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be!“.

All that bravado for “sports entertainment”!

The problem is that it’s ALL bravado and it doesn’t help us in the real world.

On an interview a while back I was asked if I was the best candidate for a job. I told them that I’m great at what I do but that if I don’t know the other candidates, I can’t say I’m the best. Maybe that showed humility; maybe weakness. But I stand by my response.

Trying to be the best in the world is an admirable goal and it can cause you to work harder to achieve what you want to achieve. Competition can sharpen us and make us better. But if it shuts you down because you find someone who is better than you, it’s no good (and there is almost always someone who is or seems to be better).

The truth is that you don’t have to be the best in the world to help people or to succeed. You simply have to care and do your best work. You simply have to be good enough to help and find people who need your help.

Leave saving the world to Superman and claims to be the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) to pro wrestlers. Both you and the world are better off if you focus on doing a great job for those you serve instead. If you want some help gaining that focus, click here.

So are you the person who strives to be the best and it makes you better? Or do you need to redefine your journey so you can get going and stop being paralyzed by the size of your battle?